Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor
Oct. 26th, 2022 05:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn short, loved all the fanservice, Chibnall did well for a final episode, and since I also liked The Flux six parter last year, I think Thirteen went out on a strong note (though I still don't like The Timeless Child). Re: the tag scene, welllllll, my first instinct was to say "oh, I wish you hadn't, RTD, you should have resisted temptation", but then I thought, hm, what if - well, we'll see.
I've come to the conclusion that my one enduring problem isn't Dhawan!Master as such - Dhawan plays a great Master, and the plot here unites so many Mastery things - but his placement in the overall story. If we'd first gotten Dhawan, then Gomez, I'd have been fine. As it is, Missy presented so much character development for the Master that the Dhawan regeneration felt like one giant frustrating reset button, and so until there is online dialogue - not word of God, online dialogue - to the effect, I'm still clinging to my head canon that Simm!Master regenerated not into Missy but into Dhawan who then became Gomez after this episode.
I've known since the trailer that Ace and Tegan would be back, but I hadn't known Chibnall got Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann on board, so both Thirteen getting a pep talk from her previous selves and Ace & Tegan communicating with "their" Doctors was a lovely surprise. Finding an excuse for Ace to wear that jacket again and have a go with the baseball bat at a Dalek was pure fanservce, but I'm a fan, and I loved it. Ditto for "Brave heart, Tegan". Meanwhile, Tegan snarking that having been a stewardess in the 1980s was tougher than her Companion adventures was a hilariously current touch. And of course the big Companion meeting at the very end with Ian! IAN!!!!!! in it was divine; I'm so, so glad William Russell was able to be there.
Kate Stewart was great as per usual, and since Graham was my favourite among the Thirteen era Companions - sorry, Yaz, Ryan and Dan, I likeyou, too, but I loved Graham! - I was thrilled he was back for this final outing. (And that in-universe, he just couldn't not do something when noticing troublesome things. Oh, and that he pinched a Psychic Paper when leaving the TARDIS. Go, bus driver!
Thirteen being so surprised one Dalek would be filled by Dalek self loathing ignores both the episode Dalek from the RTD era and Rusty the Dalek from the Moffat era, but okay. What's more frustrating is that we never did find out what made this particular Dalek go individual; I thought Ace would somehow get a hold on all that downloaded intelligence or something, but no, iit just remained a shaggy dog, err, Dalek story. This said, the Master not only having created Cybermen with Gallilfreyan collars/hats but impersonating Rasputin and having at his latest scheme literally becoming the Doctor is so very him... pre Missy. See above.
Also well done: Dan's TARDIS exit. There is certainly a lot to critisize about the Chibnall era, but his Companion exits have all been *chef's kiss*. They leave being better for their time with the Doctor but due to their own decisions and without being forced or traumatized into it.
Thirteen taking leave of Yaz with that shared ice cream and then with the sunset was beautiful. As for the regeneration.... welll. Also see above. First I thought "RTD, you shouldn't have, this just confirms everyone's worst fears even knowing it can only be temporary!", and then I thought "hm, what if this is his canon Donna fixit story? And I would not say no to more actual Doctor and Donna interaction, not just both of them in the same story but with nothing actual for Donna to do or change as in Ten's farewell episode. And then I thought "what if there's an in-story reason that will also ensure Actual Next Doctor will be free of any remaining baggage and have a fresh start after the special(s)?" So: I'm willing to wait and see.
I've come to the conclusion that my one enduring problem isn't Dhawan!Master as such - Dhawan plays a great Master, and the plot here unites so many Mastery things - but his placement in the overall story. If we'd first gotten Dhawan, then Gomez, I'd have been fine. As it is, Missy presented so much character development for the Master that the Dhawan regeneration felt like one giant frustrating reset button, and so until there is online dialogue - not word of God, online dialogue - to the effect, I'm still clinging to my head canon that Simm!Master regenerated not into Missy but into Dhawan who then became Gomez after this episode.
I've known since the trailer that Ace and Tegan would be back, but I hadn't known Chibnall got Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann on board, so both Thirteen getting a pep talk from her previous selves and Ace & Tegan communicating with "their" Doctors was a lovely surprise. Finding an excuse for Ace to wear that jacket again and have a go with the baseball bat at a Dalek was pure fanservce, but I'm a fan, and I loved it. Ditto for "Brave heart, Tegan". Meanwhile, Tegan snarking that having been a stewardess in the 1980s was tougher than her Companion adventures was a hilariously current touch. And of course the big Companion meeting at the very end with Ian! IAN!!!!!! in it was divine; I'm so, so glad William Russell was able to be there.
Kate Stewart was great as per usual, and since Graham was my favourite among the Thirteen era Companions - sorry, Yaz, Ryan and Dan, I likeyou, too, but I loved Graham! - I was thrilled he was back for this final outing. (And that in-universe, he just couldn't not do something when noticing troublesome things. Oh, and that he pinched a Psychic Paper when leaving the TARDIS. Go, bus driver!
Thirteen being so surprised one Dalek would be filled by Dalek self loathing ignores both the episode Dalek from the RTD era and Rusty the Dalek from the Moffat era, but okay. What's more frustrating is that we never did find out what made this particular Dalek go individual; I thought Ace would somehow get a hold on all that downloaded intelligence or something, but no, iit just remained a shaggy dog, err, Dalek story. This said, the Master not only having created Cybermen with Gallilfreyan collars/hats but impersonating Rasputin and having at his latest scheme literally becoming the Doctor is so very him... pre Missy. See above.
Also well done: Dan's TARDIS exit. There is certainly a lot to critisize about the Chibnall era, but his Companion exits have all been *chef's kiss*. They leave being better for their time with the Doctor but due to their own decisions and without being forced or traumatized into it.
Thirteen taking leave of Yaz with that shared ice cream and then with the sunset was beautiful. As for the regeneration.... welll. Also see above. First I thought "RTD, you shouldn't have, this just confirms everyone's worst fears even knowing it can only be temporary!", and then I thought "hm, what if this is his canon Donna fixit story? And I would not say no to more actual Doctor and Donna interaction, not just both of them in the same story but with nothing actual for Donna to do or change as in Ten's farewell episode. And then I thought "what if there's an in-story reason that will also ensure Actual Next Doctor will be free of any remaining baggage and have a fresh start after the special(s)?" So: I'm willing to wait and see.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 05:52 pm (UTC)But it was maniac and non-stop and I don't like The Master much but the work between Doctor and Companions was excellent. I've only seen very few classic episodes but all the stuff with Tegan and Ace and Five and Seven respectively was still very effective for me.
It's interesting that unlike the 50th, it embraced the classic Doctors, and it's fanservice aimed squarely at 13's era and the classic era.
But yeah that final tag scene. Well my least favourite thing out of all the new run was the cheapness of using regneration as a cliffhanger for Stolen Earth and then doing a cop out in Journey's End. This kind of compounds that if we are the believe Tennant will take up a whole another live as fourteen.
There is substantial wriggle room though and if RTD's lying about Tennat being 14 and Gatwa 15 maybe he's halfway though a forced regeneration, it would be great character development for Ten to overcome his great fear of regeneration and voluntary regenerate become the true Fourteen in Gatwa.
I'd have been perfectly happy with next year's specials just being previously unseen adventures of Ten though.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 06:39 pm (UTC)I've been thinking about it, and I think it might be. I really, really think it might be. And I'm willing to forgive any amount of RTD-ish self-indulgence for that, if it is.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 07:25 pm (UTC)I feel you a lot about Dhawan!Master vs. Missy's character development. Say no to the reset button!
Regarding Tennant's return, I wouldn't mind it if I didn't feel like it was at Ncuti Gatwa's expense, who got announced as the next Doctor and then immediately superseded and shuffled off to be Fifteen rather than Fourteen. And RTD's track record with black characters isn't great.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 09:08 pm (UTC)This is basically the only way I'd be happy of it, and I'm really wary. IF he fixes what he did to Donna, I will forgive a lot. IF it's Tennant playing someone more lighthearted than the Ten in the last specials, ditto. I think I'm going to wait until after it's aired and read summaries to see if I actually want to watch it. (I will die mad about her begging him not to mindwipe her. Die. Mad.)
There is certainly a lot to critisize about the Chibnall era, but his Companion exits have all been *chef's kiss*. They leave being better for their time with the Doctor but due to their own decisions and without being forced or traumatized into it.
I hadn't really realized that but yes! That was really a good change.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-27 08:31 pm (UTC)I also liked the concept the companions are in contact and have meetings with each other. I wonder if the Internet of the 2010s made that easier (Because Sarah Jane didn't appear to really be in contact with most of the other companions in that "Death of the Doctor" SJA 2-parter).
The execution could have been better but I like the companion's departures weren't a downer this time and 13 went out more happily. I can see this episode throwing some Big Finish entries canonicity into question. But there'll be Dhawan!Master and Fugitive Doctor audios series coming up, so it'll be interesting how Big Finish handles these incarnations (and this era's other characters if and when their actors join up).
I wasn't exactly happy with the Tennant stunt either but from the rumors I've heard, DW was on the verge of cancellation and RTD did this to get attention back to the show. Hopefully, he handles it with some nuance and grace. I've heard rumors about those specials but fingers cross it is a fix-it for Donna and Gatwa gets his due (It was sweet McCoy welcomed him in as a fellow Scot). I heard RTD wants to do spinoffs again and cited the MCU but idk how serious he was and if that'll come to pass.